


tap out

by Graysworks



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Drabble, Gen, M/M, Missing Scene, Pidge POV, Post s2 finale, yep expect the works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 12:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13636482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Graysworks/pseuds/Graysworks
Summary: The headsets weren't a great idea to begin with, but the mistake is realized when Shiro lights up Keith's screen.





	tap out

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sooooooooOOOOO rusty fml
> 
> Thanks Nena for enabling me... also I'm sorry you have to read this mess xD
> 
> there's a million fics out there like this but yknow.... it's something I could do a hundred takes on and not get right, so we'll call this the First Attempt

"I still don't understand why we're doing this."

Lance groans loudly again and drops his head into his arms, balanced precariously over the back of the couch. Pidge doesn't know why he doesn't just pick a side and commit already; no, apparently it's much too fun to face off against gravity, and he stays right where he is.

"It's supposed to keep us connected, we all know that," Hunk answers, fidgeting where he sits in front of said couch- the one that Lance seems intent on conquering. "Even when we're not forming Voltron."

Pidge grinds her teeth at Lance's miffed response of, "I'm around you guys twenty-four seven. We're already as _connected_ as we're gonna get." He throws in air quotes, and her frustration is complete.

"Come on, we're all in this together, you doofus. None of us want to fall behind in our piloting, anyway." She tugs a hand away from his face, but he's already caving- because if Lance hates anything more than putting in effort, it's letting the others criticize his flying. He sticks his tongue out at her and crawls into a sitting position -directly across from Keith, no less- as Hunk passes out the headsets.

She breathes a loud exhale and turns the device over in her hands. "Okay, just like last time, I guess." And then, trying not to throw too much doubt into the words; "Clear minds."

"Yeah, I remember that worked out great," Lance mutters, tucking the band behind his ears. She elbows him sharply and follows suit, rolling her eyes when Hunk and Keith laugh a little.

It's a good sight, in the end. Keith, especially, could use some distraction.

The thought provokes the usual stream of regret, places a highlighter over the empty space beside him, and Pidge tries to steer away from it as she turns the device on. Shiro isn't hers to grieve -not really- not like Keith. She can't do much for him, she tells herself, but she can stay in her lane, even if it's somehow worse this way; it's still the least she can do. He's shown no signs of wanting to open up about it, after all.

Pidge turns back to task. Matt still flickers to life at first, and it's a familiar picture by now, burned into the back of her eyes.

She feels a tug from the left, then the right, as the others come into mental focus; Hunk, a jumble of new memories and half-finished recipe notes, Lance with his ceaseless internal chatter and warming presence, despite his usual abrasiveness that so often bleeds into everyone's nerves.

"Okay, we'll start simple," She says quietly, closing her eyes. She's not Allura, and she's not anyone's _therapist_ \- but out of all of them, Pidge is goal oriented, and that's more than she can say for the others. "Coran said we'll be able to communicate telepathically with practice, so- _Yes_ , Lance, just like a Vulcan mind meld."

He squeaks a little, audibly this time, and Hunk gasps. "Oooh, is it working? Can you hear me?"

"When you say it out loud, we can all hear you," Keith sighs, unmoved from his position at the foot of the couch. Pidge can practically envision his stiff shoulders, crossed arms- and then she _does_ , in a flash that's more substantial than mind's eye.

She tugs at the feeling, and is met with the equivalent of a mental shove. "Hey!"

"Sorry," Keith mutters, and slumps further.

Lance and Hunk start squabbling in the background, but she pushes it to the back of her mind to form a short sentence in Keith's direction- and receives the same, forcefully shut door in her face. "Keith, come on. Focus."

"Sorry, sorry," He repeats, a little louder, more apologetic than harried, but the frustration is there. "I'm not used to people poking around in my head."

"I think that's all of us," Hunk agrees, sheepish as Lance makes a confused, exasperated noise. "Sorry man. Your subconscious is as complicated as my souffle recipe."

"Oh, _my_ subconscious-"

"Alright, _alright,_ " Pidge raises her voice over them, scrubbing a hand across her eyes- she has no idea how they did this the _first_ time. "We'll try something else. Let's just- go back to the basics. Relax, focus on clearing our brains."

"Think happy thoughts?" Lance deadpans, and she smacks him upside the head.

They fall into a light silence.

Pidge goes through memories like an afterthought -she's become used to them by now, even the ones of Matt and her dad- while Hunk and Lance dwell longer on theirs, and Keith-

She frowns and opens her eyes at the resistance again, about to pester once more, but Shiro-

But _Shiro._ Keith is staring at Shiro, or rather, at the screen which flickers in front of him, Shiro's figure cutting a sharp silhouette in front of the stars there.

She realizes what a mistake this was too late.

Shiro disappears, and reappears, and Keith's eyes dart from one image to the next, mouth open like he's trying to process the rapid jumps between them. They both are, because his memory of Shiro seems infinite and fleeting all at the same time, almost dizzyingly so. Pidge's head is starting to spin when Hunk and then Lance take notice, their screens falling away.

"Keith?" Hunk tugs his own headset off, and Pidge will chew him out for giving up so quickly later- but not now.

"Dude," Lance adds, huffing at the continued slide of pictures. " _Keith_ , snap out of it, man. _Hello?"_

He doesn't register any sign of hearing. His eyes are still wide and flitting.

"Hey," Pidge exchanges an slightly alarmed look with Hunk, and then another when the images start producing _sound_ , loud and snatched like Keith can't hang onto them long enough before they dissolve. "Hey, Keith- are you listening-?"

"Take off the headset," Hunk says, and there's something panicked and strange in his voice. "Keith, just take off the headset-"

The screen lights up faster, Shiro's voice more brief and jumbled; and both Pidge and Lance join Hunk in telling Keith to quit, concern quickly growing. Pidge scolds herself- how didn't she _think_ about this? Shiro's been gone mere weeks and Keith's been holding it together so well in front of them, so much that it's almost easy to forget he's _grieving_ ; and the mistake is made now and fully realized as he sits and stares and _stares_ , chest stuttering-

He gasps like it's punched out of him, and buries his face in his hands.

The screen blanks.

For a split second there's silence, and Pidge thinks it's over, and that they should probably take a minute to figure out just what _happened,_ but she finds herself frozen. The other's don't seem to be able to move either.

"Keith?"

Shiro's voice washes over the room again, quieter, subdued. It's different this time- sweet in a way that shocks them all back into listening. When he speaks again, it's... _gentle,_  intimate in a way that burns in Pidge's ears, like she's hearing something deeply private and guarded.

"Keith... shh, no, it's nothing."

Hunk shoots Pidge another look. She stares back, more in pain than surprise.

"Go back to sleep," Shiro's fond murmur runs over Keith like something alive, from the way his knees curl further into his chest. "Rough week and all."

A gentle pause. Whispers of fabric.

"Go back to sleep, Keith," He breathes a light puff of air, just shy of a laugh. "I'm right here." Keith shudders.

Pidge nearly steps in then, at the first tear that slides through Keith's fingers, because they'd all been expecting him to cry sooner or later -how could they _not?_ \- but then Shiro's voice shifts, into something soft and heartbreakingly earnest.

"Keith... you're the most-"

The headset hits the floor with a clatter, startling them all in their fixed attentiveness.

Keith pushes himself to his feet and runs.

**Author's Note:**

> you can send me.. fluffy prompts... on tumblerb.... @hazelnatcoffee
> 
> I swear I'm trying to lessen the cringe factor in my writing.. bear with please


End file.
